They were supported by ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla. Troops were landed from Il-76 military transport planes in the Kapustin Yar training area. Army maneuvers were conducted from the Don steppes to the Trans-Volga region and from the southern seas to the VolgaDon Canal. These maneuvers attracted a great deal of attention from around the world and not just because the actions of the forces and headquarters staffs were observed by Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Put. Rather, international interest was piqued primarily by accusations in the Western media that the maneuvers were staged too close to the borders with Georgia, which has now had no diplomatic relations with Russia for four years. Russian generals were obliged to explain that the Caucasus 2012 exercise was being held in accordance with a previously announced plan and were not a threat to any other countries. Does it mean that Russian militaries got ground after years of decay? Other thoughts about it can be found here: www.valdaiclub.com
